International Tea Day is an annual celebration that is celebrated in many tea growing countries as it was originally established to bring awareness to the tea pickers and tea trade workers.
How many times do you prepare your cup or pot of tea thinking of the workers who are the reasons you have this delightful beverage right now? There are many questions you could ask yourself today and any day you prepare and indulge in your tea. Where did your tea come from? Who grew the plant it is from? Who picked those tea leaves from the plant? How much are they getting paid? What are their lives like? If you do not have the answers to some of these question, research it. Devote some time to them just like the tea workers devote their time to your tea leaves. If you do not like what you find, help make a change. These questions could likely make you see your cup differently and help you appreciate tea even more than you already do.
Take a moment today to sit back with your cup of tea and imagine the hard work it took to get it to you so you could enjoy it at this moment. Feel the energy of the people who had carefully harvested these leaves. Sip your tea and close your eyes. Imagine the workers’ hands touching each leaf carefully and mindfully. These tea workers dedicate many hours and motions in a day to deliver this precious beverage we have known to love for many different reasons.
This International Tea Day celebrate tea for what it is best known for and what the tea workers deliver to us that is more than just a drink — comfort and hope.
*EDIT: This article is from back when International Tea Day was held on December 15 annually. Since 2020, International Tea Day has been moved to May 21.
What tea are you enjoying to celebrate today? Let me know in the comments below!